Star Wars: The Light at the End
by Thebattlemedic
Summary: The Clone Wars have begun, but darkness envelops everything from the Jedi Council to the Clone Army. The 14th Armageddon Corps along with Jedi Master Nora Fyyr must stand against whatever is thrown their way. Whether or not they remain standing is yet to be found out...
1. I: Armageddon

**Prologue**

_I stared with dread, with anger, with hate. Explosions pelted the ground around me, but I kept pressing on. Blaster rounds whizzed past, even striking my shoulder. My body groaned in protest, but I slid down next to my fallen ally._

_My fallen friend._

_I watched her as she suffered, and I began speaking words I thought I'd never speak. Another round hit me as I covered her with my back. I saw my vision beginning to fade, then I heard a noise behind me. _

_A noise no man should hear that close.  
_

From the Senate Building walked a fairly short woman, though her size did not betray her age. She seemed to be in her mid-to-late twenties and she was fairly obviously a Jedi. Though, her attire was a bit strange as she had armor rather than robes. This armor was primarily brown with a black set of clothing beneath. At her hips were two lightsabers, one significantly smaller than the other. A frown was carved into her face, just below the visor that covered her eyes. Another Jedi walked towards her and nodded in greeting.  
"Master Nora. There's a bit of an issue," He began. The woman known as Nora kept walking, but the fellow Jedi matched her pace. "The Separatists are making a move on Tatooine. We believe it's somehow affiliated with the Hutts there. The Council has requested you to be there. Well, a small group of Clones and you, as asked by the Senate."

Nora looked at the man, the frown remaining, "Tell them to meet me at Hangar Bay Three," She said. The Jedi that had approached her nodded and walked off. His brown robe trailed behind him, his bald head shining a bit in the light. Nora shook her head slightly and kept walking. She descended a flight of stairs onto a small veranda, leaning on the railing. She concentrated hard for a moment, wondering what could possibly be so important for a group of Clones and herself to head that far into the Outer Rim. She looked down, watching the hundreds of vehicles fly about, over and under each other.  
"Ma'am," Her Commlink on her wrist blinked a few times, a Clone's voice audible. Though, Nora noticed something off about his voice, it was quite noticeably different than the other Clones' voices. She shrugged it off, thinking it more of a flaw between communications than an actual difference with the Clone himself. "We're at the Hangar Bay, waiting on you."  
"I'm on my way," Nora replied. Her voice was quiet and fairly emotionless, a trait she had always had. Her Master had commented on that upon finding her, even saying that she was likely a model Jedi, having barely any feelings as-it-was. Nora's Midi-Chlorian count also contributed to that. From what she was told, she contained a number somewhere above 18,000.

Nora began the walk to the Hangar Bay, her pace brisk. A few Knights and even a few Masters greeted her as she walked, which she responded with a nod, or a 'Hello, Master'. She descended many stairs, leaving the Temple's area and heading for the nearby Clone Base. Inside she could already see hundreds of Clones walking about, talking, or doing something else. Nora took a right, reading 'Hangar Bay Three' off of a sign. She entered, looking between a group of five Troopers. Two caught her eye; a taller-than-usual Clone and one that was obviously not a Clone.

Nora walked up to the group, still looking at the two. The Taller Clone's armor was primarily white with red highlights on his shoulders, breastplate, wrists, and stomach plates along with his knees and shins. He wore a white-based, double-sided pauldron with red on the part of the plate resting on his left shoulder. Nora noted this, as this denounced the large Clone as an ARC. He had a small pack on his back, but there didn't seem to be any pockets on the white backpack. Draped over his legs was a white kama with red trimming around the edges. The pistol holsters were also red. His helmet was a typical ARC helmet, just with red stripes where the Legion markings would be. Nora wondered what Legion or affiliation the ARC had, as the other Trooper had the same coloring. The very first thing Nora took notice to on the other Trooper was the Trooper's gender.

It was female, this immediately meant that the Trooper was a Volunteer, rather than a Clone. The woman's armor, however, was a bit strange. Though her chest plate, arm plates, and leg armor suggested Phase II, she had an ARC pad over her shoulders. The armor itself was similar to the first Clone's, though it was obviously smaller and built for her gender. She didn't wear the backpack that the first had worn and her helmet was that of an ARF, rather than an ARC. A red stripe ran backwards over the helmet, along with the 'lip' of the helmet. The rest was white other than the visor, of course. Her kama was almost exactly the same as the first Clone's, just smaller to fit her size.  
"General," All of the Clones greeted at once. The Troopers to the right of the two in red saluted sharply, but the other two did it more casually.  
"At ease," Nora said quietly. The tall ARC stepped forward.  
"Ma'am, I am ARC seven-nine-oh-four, and this is VT four-oh-three-one. Those three are CT five-two-three-eight, five-" Nora cut him off with a wave of her hand.  
"I don't much care for the numbers, I won't remember them. I know they are your names, but I am no Clone, so I will not understand. You have nicknames, do you not?" She asked. The ARC nodded, "I am Captain Bruiser. That's Lieutenant Robin, Corporals Ion and Buzz, and he's Private Tin," He said, pointing to each of them respectively. The Troopers were Regulars, only having basic armor with no Legion affiliation.  
"Nice to meet you," Nora said, her manners about her, "I am Jedi Master Nora Fyyr. You may call me General, General Nora, General Fyyr, or even Jedi. I don't really mind the title. Also, you two, I noticed your armor. I don't recognize the Legion," Nora said.  
"Yes, General, well, about that. We're a small group, I wouldn't even call us a Legion. By definition we're the 14th Armageddon Corps. In total there's around forty of us. ARC Martial Commander Atomizer is the leader. Though I'm not his second highest rank, he regards me as his second-in-command," Bruiser explained.  
"Ah. I'm going to take a guess that you're a corps comprised of ARCs, aren't you?" Nora inquired. Bruiser and Robin nodded.  
"Yeah. We're fairly under-the-radar when it comes to it, but yes, we are all ARCs. These three are Regulars." He pointed to the other three Clones. They didn't even have Legion colors. Nora nodded and began walking toward the ship.

The ship was a repurposed G9 Rigger Freighter. It had two forward cannons and one backwards and its engines had been overhauled for better speed and maneuverability whilst in Space. It was Nora's ship, one she had retrieved quite a while ago. She intentionally made the colors similar to a Bounty Hunter's ship to throw off any CIS attackers, though, it didn't help that much around friendlies.

Nora was never much of a pilot anyways.

They boarded one by one with Nora manning the pilot's seat and Bruiser in the co-pilot's seat. She tapped a few buttons on both the top and bottom console and the ship roared to life.  
"Nice ship, General," Robin commented, running a hand on the wall.  
"Don't get too attached. We'll be in the Outer Rim soon," Nora said. It almost sounded like a joke, but her tone gave the Troopers mixed feelings.  
"What'd you name it?" Robin asked.  
"Lux."  
"Wait, isn't that the handle of some secret Republic agent?" Bruiser turned to Nora as he asked.  
"You're looking at her. I tend to work alone, but considering that you four were brought along, I'm guessing something bad is going to happen," Nora told him. The ship lifted up and flew out of the hanger, straight for the Space above Coruscant. Once in space Nora pressed a few buttons more and activated the Hyperdrive. The ship accelerated and disappeared from the Friendly Space almost instantly.

Some say, that maybe if they hadn't left that day, events may not have played out the way they did. Others say that it could've been worse, and others leave it as it was. One thing was for sure though.

They had no idea of what was to come.


	2. II: Lux Meets Tenebris

**Chapter 1**

_I suppose I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Maybe I should rewind, recap a bit on previous events, such as the beginning of the Clone Wars, or even farther back to how the beginning of their end was established. Maybe I could go farther, back to when Nora had become part of the Order. Maybe I shouldn't. "I" will remain unknown for now, as, to you, Reader, I have not been introduced. Or maybe I have? _

_I should stop._

_Alright, well, Nora and her friends weren't the only people that stood in this catastrophe. There were more, even those one wouldn't think to look for as the 'hero'. One of which was dreaded, but I knew her well. Too well, at that, too well for my own good. Her name was Anne Do'eris. _

There she stood, a Dark Lord, doing nothing. It sickened her to be without anything to do, even if she knew that she was on her way to Tatooine. She couldn't stand the wait, however. _It will be rewarding,_ She told herself. She even believed it.  
"Anne," A calm voice sounded. The woman, Anne, turned and knelt without question.

"Master," She addressed.

"Your mission just got far more important. 'Lux' is in play, I hope you know." Anne dared to look up, to see her Master's foot, even in hologram, draped in a black cloak.  
"Lux? Are you sure, Master?" Anne said, her voice almost excited.

"Yes, Anne, I do warn you, however, that Lux's recorded movements are not exaggerated as we thought. They are anything but. If you want to live beyond this, do not underestimate Lux."

"I won't Master." The hologram disappeared without another word. Anne stood back up, the door behind her opening with a pneumatic hiss. The room in question was a fairly empty room, with a chair and the control dashboard near the window and completely empty in the middle.

"Tenebris," The newcomer addressed Anne, "I'd like to let you know that we're about ten minutes from arrival to Tatooine."

"Right, thank you, Schitzo…" She said half-heartedly.

The droid nodded and left the dimly-lit room. Anne turned back and sat in the seat, her silver armor shining. Around her midsection on the armor were two red lines, lit by a form of LED lighting. A cloth was draped around her neck and fell over her back and onto her right shoulder. A cloth of the same material was on her right hip down to about her knee, covering most of her right leg. Despite her appearance, she was actually older than she seemed. Looking to be around twenty-three or so, Anne was really twenty-nine going on thirty. She was also only five-foot-seven, slightly below average height for human females, which she was. Anne watched the strange space around her known as Hyperspace. It always fascinated her, the brilliance of the lights and such. She shook her head, knowing it was time to get serious.

'Lux' whoever he, she, or it was, was the Republic's Attack Dog. Lux was all over almost every UGR Black-Op, yet nothing was known about, for the sake of ease, him. Anne knew a few things about this mysterious name, however. She knew that Lux wasn't to be trifled with, that Lux was a Force-Sensitive, and that she was to get rid of him as soon as possible. The very thought excited her. Anne wasn't known for fear at all, but for her insane smile and the pure madness that flowed from her. She grinned at the thought of a difficult fight, something that rarely happened. Many missions she went on were far too easy, but that was due to Darth Tyranus and his Assassin making waves as-it-was. Time flew farther than she thought, however, and Tatooine was soon in view. Her grin grew slightly, looking at the planet.  
"So, Lux meets Tenebris. How… Fitting," She said quietly aloud to herself.

* * *

The _Lux_ entered the space of Tatooine, the large tannish-brown planet filling their entire view. Nora stared down at the surface, remembering the countless times she had been to the planet. It brought a slight frown to her face, as most of the memories had been negative.  
"Welcome, Troopers and Volunteer, to the _wonderful_ planet of Tatooine! We've got some dust, more dust, and, well, more freakin' dust!" Bruiser announced, a small laugh following.

"Don't forget the Bounty Hunters and other scumbags," Robin pointed out after his laugh.

She stood, her height dwarfed by Bruiser's 6'4". She was only 5'7", however. They may have had their differences, but that's what made them great partners, mind you. Bruiser and Robin were practically opposites. Robin a Marksman where Bruiser was a CQC Master, Robin a quieter soul, Bruiser a louder one. Nora couldn't help but note these differences, but she had looked over many Troopers' files, especially those of ARCs and Volunteers. She had also worked alongside many high-classed Clones, such as the _Null_-Class ARCs. Nora, upon reading into both Robin and Bruiser's files, had noted that they were an Army of Two. The both of them had worked together as far back as the Clone Troopers' Debut; The Battle of Geonosis. One of many Droid Factories on the planet had fallen to those two alone. At least, mostly. After a bit of digging, Nora found that an unnamed Jedi Knight had assisted them to get into it and move through before falling in combat.

When she looked at Robin's file, Nora found out she was only in her early twenties at the time of Enlistment, which was slightly before the Battle of Geonosis. Nora had also noted that Bruiser was not a Fett Clone, but a Clone of a powerful Bounty Hunter by the name of Liam O'Dunne. O'Dunne had killed several Jedi and was put down by a fairly large group, including two Council Members. Nora had been asked on that job, but had declined at the time. _If I would have made the third Council Member, maybe that Knight may have lived,_ Nora thought. She shook it from her mind, knowing that the past was unchangeable. O'Dunne was a brute, standing at 6'4" like Bruiser and practically invulnerable. When she spoke to Master Aayla Secura about it, she stated that the man took both of her lightsabers into his chest along with another from a fellow Jedi to fell. Nora hoped that trait transmitted to Bruiser, because if so she may take the advisement from Grand-Master Yoda to assume control of a Legion or Corps. She also knew the Armageddon Corps didn't have a Jedi General, so that made her choice that much easier. Nora had put the ship down in Mos Eisley, a place she knew well, despite not wanting to.

They climbed down the boarding ramp, walking out onto the sandy ground. Nora had found a landing place near the outskirts of the town, however, as to trek easier to the small outcrop of buildings her holo showed her. The holo was small, handheld, and overall fairly new and easy-to-use. Without a word she walked, the Clones (and Volunteer) following shortly behind. Bruiser wasn't afraid to boast his shotgun, an odd and old choice of weapon. His shotgun wasn't like the typical armaments of the era, instead it fired projectiles rather than bolts. To Nora, the choice was odd, the weapon technologically worse than modern ones, but she said nothing. They headed through the crowded markets, ignoring the several vendors selling illegal arms and such. More than just a few of the people gave them angered looks, but none of them really cared. Nora knew the people of the Outer Rim didn't like the Galactic Republic and quite frankly, she added, she didn't like them.

Soon, the group had found their way out of Mos Eisley, heading into the large and empty dunes of the barren planet.

"By the way, Troopers, call me Lux over any radio transmissions while we're on this job. Also, tell this to _no one_, got it?" Nora said, not even looking at them. A universal "Yes ma'am!" sounded behind her.

"Ma'am, why didn't we get a Bike or something? It would've made this trip much quicker," Bruiser asked.

"We could have been tracked. You realize we _are_ in a system not too fond of the Republic, correct? If you do, then that means Bounty Hunters will be after any Jedi they can. We have numbers, too, you know," Nora explained.

"Ah, understood. Any idea what your 'number' is?"

"It depends on which. Nora Fyyr's number is fairly low, Lux's, however, well… I'm not going to go there." Bruiser didn't ask any further, falling back with his troops.

"She's nothing like Skywalker or any other Jedi General," He mumbled to Robin, quiet enough so Nora couldn't hear.

"Aye, she's far more serious. You know what that means, right?" She replied in the same tone.

"What?"

"It means shit's going to get real. The more serious the Jedi, the more serious the mission, _especially_ when they have some Black Op handle."

"Right," He picked his voice up when he spoke again, "So, how're you all liking Tatooine? I know you and I have been here before, Robin, but I'm talkin' about these Clowns."

"Hey!" Ion yelled.

"I'm kidding, just kidding. Any of you three ever been here before?" Bruiser asked. Three heads shaken, one sigh of disappointment.

"Well, there's nothing really to it, as you can see. I mean, there's a few good bars, the markets are okay if you're into illegal stuff and a lot of money to get. Again, illegal stuff, but still good nonetheless."

"Since when have you been to a bar, ARC-7904?" Nora asked. Bruiser was surprised that she remembered his number.

"Er, ma'am, I've been into a few for missions. Assassination ones, at that," He replied quickly. Again, surprising the Clone, Nora laughed.

"I know, I've looked. I just wanted to see how you'd react. I predicted you fairly well." Bruiser was speechless, and then glanced at Robin. She shrugged, gesturing forward, "Hey, is that our target?" Nora nodded, rather than answering verbally.

They had gotten to the top of a sand dune, looking down on a group of destroyed buildings with one standing in the very center. By the look of things, it was also the largest. It was maybe the size of two typical houses adjoined into one. A ship, similar to Nora's except heavily modified with several enhancements all over and painted differently, sat in front.

"Ion, Buzz, Tin. I want you three to go around back and infiltrate that way. Robin, Bruiser, with me," Nora ordered quickly. The three Troopers headed towards where she had indicated, then Nora headed towards the front entrance, followed by the two.

"I sense a Dark presence. If I engage a Sith, I want you two to stay out of the way as much as possible. Whoever it is may use you against me in some way."

"Ma'am, with all due respect, we've killed Sith before, even a Dark Lord. Our minds aren't feeble enough to fall prey to any basic attack, and even at illusions we can break free easily," Robin pointed out. Nora nodded in acknowledgement, but said nothing further. They entered the building, noticing just how open it truly was. There was nothing inside, despite the amount of open space, and the seeming use of it.

"So," A female voice boomed, seemingly everywhere around the trio, "I take it you're Lux then, Miss Jedi." Nora didn't reply, she stood her ground and looked around, but the Sith's energy seemed to be everywhere. She closed her eyes, which were hidden by the black visor she wore. Nora suddenly lashed out in a Force Grip to her right, grabbing the Sith. Anne had appeared out of thin air, her Force Cloak broken, but the grip did nothing to her.

"Brava, I congratulate you, Lux, on a job-well-done," Anne sarcastically clapped whilst speaking. "My master thinks you're a threat, but you aren't really, are you? Of all your actions, I'm beginning to think yo-" A burst from Robin's DC17Bs stopped Anne short of speaking, but she blocked with her bare hands.

"Rude." She drew both of her lightsabers, whose hilts were jet black with only a few slight markings. Anne ignited the sabers, a grin on her face as usual.

"Ion, Buzz, Tin, now would be a great time to-" Anne cut Bruiser off by saying, "Oh, them? Sorry, if you mean the three that you rode in with, they're a bit… Well, what's the word… Dead? Yeah, let's say that."

"I'll kill you, you little-" Anne cut Bruiser off again.

"Now, now, temper, temper!" She said, lashing forward in a stab towards the three. Anne disappeared from view, however, just before contact.

She reappeared behind Nora, who ducked under the two yellow lightsabers. _Yellow? Odd color for a Dark Lord…_ Nora thought, drawing her Shoto. The blade of the Shoto was a bright blue, nearly cyan in color. She countered both of Anne's lightsabers that she had swung down and they clashed, holding each other in place for a long moment. Anne jumped back, doing a flip in the air before landing.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am known as Darth Tenebris, or, less commonly as Anne Do'eris," Anne said, giving a slight bow. The name instantly caught Nora off-guard.

"Anne? I…" Nora stopped, regaining her thoughts.

She drew her second lightsaber, a normal one at that. With both held low, she ran at Anne, jumping high into the air and coming down with a large amount of power. Anne spun and dodged, swinging a lightsaber at Nora. It nearly came in contact with her stomach, had Bruiser not stepped in with a weapon Nora hadn't seen on him earlier. It was a sword slightly larger than a Ninjato and he had blocked the lightsaber with it. _Songsteel? _She thought. Nora rolled upon landing, spinning around. Anne made a small, angered grunt and Force Pushed Bruiser away. Much to Nora's surprise, however, he resisted and only slid a few feet. Robin leapt off Bruiser's back, using the larger Trooper as a springboard and brought a vibrosword down on Anne. She clashed with the Sith's lightsabers and held herself in place. Nora rushed Anne, swinging her Shoto for her midsection. Without a single movement, Nora had been pushed back by Anne. Bruiser swung the Songsteel Ninjato at Anne. She jumped, Force Pushing Robin back and kicking Bruiser in the face. He shrugged off the hit and went for another stab. Anne countered with her left lightsaber and used the right to stab Bruiser in the arm. A groan of pain began audible, but then Robin shot Anne in the back, followed by Nora jumping up and kicking Anne's midsection.

Anne landed with a slight roll to the side, then getting to her feet. Her armor had taken the Volunteer's shot, luckily.  
"It's a shame that your Troopers have done more work than you, Lux. What is there to fear about a woman who does nothing?" Anne taunted. Nora grinned despite herself and suddenly a maelstrom of wind formed around Anne, flinging her this way and that. This caught her off-guard, but she repulsed powerfully, dispelling the attack. She landed a few feet away, sliding and using her hand to balance herself.

"Another time, then? It'll be like old times, Nora," Anne said, laughing as she disappeared. Nora went to pursue, but her Force Signature dropped off instantly, nowhere to be found. She knew she'd be far too late to get to the ship before Anne, so didn't even bother following.

"Bruiser, are you alright?" She asked the injured ARC.

"I'm fine, ma'am, it doesn't hurt that badly."

"Hurt or not, that injury will not stay," Nora placed a hand to it and it almost instantly began to heal. Soon, there was only a small hole in both sides of the armor, nothing more.

"Th-thanks, General… I think?" He was at a loss-for-words.

"General Fyyr, I didn't know you were a Healer," Robin commented.

"I've taken it upon myself to learn all the ways of the Force, Lieutenant. _All_ of them," She emphasized. Bruiser had walked off in search of the three dead Troopers, only to come back shaking his head.

"The bitch cut them into pieces. I don't do bits and pieces," He mumbled grimly.

"Are you afraid of them, Captain?" Nora teased.

"No, I don't feel like carrying them," He retorted. _That's right,_ Nora reminded herself, _He isn't a Clone of Fett. He shares no 'Brotherly Love' with any other Troops… Interesting._ Nora motioned for the two Troopers to follow and they did. The building seemed to leave an exhale of relief upon their leaving, but Nora at least knew it was a large change in pressure.

"I'm calling the ship here, a sandstorm is coming soon," She announced, tapping on her wrist-communicator. Within minutes the ship had appeared over them and landed. They boarded, the ship instantly piloting itself towards the atmosphere and into space.

"Well, back 'home' for us," Bruiser mumbled, almost disheartened. The stars around them seemed to blur and move as the ship entered Hyperspace.

_(The first few chapters of this will be heavily based on main characters that you'll see a large way through… Or maybe you won't? I'm not afraid to kill important characters, you know. But, I'm getting off-topic. I hope you've enjoyed thus far and I'll probably be leaving little notes here and there on chapters whenever. Reviews are heavily accepted, too! Please tell me what I've done wrong and/or what I should fix! ~TheBattleMedic)_


	3. III: Jury

**Chapter 2**

_Now, you could probably imagine that Anne was angry after her loss to Lux and the Troopers. She hadn't expected such a brutal force to come out of the three, but hadn't expected a decisive victory either. I, for one, had my cards placed on Anne at least hurting or killing one of the three, but I suppose not. I still can't help but laugh at Anne's misfortune, though. As a Sith, losing the fight wasn't only a blow to her pride, but far worse. _

Climbing onto the ship, Anne cursed under her breath. She had gotten careless, allowed the three to actually injure her. _Stupid, stupid mistakes,_ she ridiculed herself. Anne's ship lifted off and instantly cloaked, blasting into the space above Tatooine. She frowned, activating her holo and kneeling.

"Master," She addressed, knowing that he had already appeared.

"Is it done?" The man asked, his voice quiet and calm.

Anne took a long moment to answer, "I have failed," She said in practically a whisper.

"As I predicted. Rise, Darth Tenebris." Anne stood as she was told, looking up at her Master. His hood was drawn low over his face, obscuring it completely aside from his chin, which was covered by yet something else; a mask of sorts.

"Blazde," Anne dared to speak his name, "If you predicted a loss, why would you even send me to that damned place?"

"For one, Apprentice, I would have expected you to dabble in the Dark Side by now, rather than whatever teachings you have brought upon yourself. For two, I thought you'd be able to do better."

"Master, I do not need anger to do the fighting for me. I am just as strong right now as I would being a brute driven by some illusion."

"Anger, an _illusion_ you say!? Bah, then why can you not strike me down yet?" Blazde taunted.

"I have no reason to, for one, and for another, you are smart enough to keep enough abilities to yourself to prevent me from winning. I am no fool."

"I want you to go to Naboo, Anne. Cause an uproar there, see if you can draw any Jedi or important Clones out. If you manage to kill something there, you may redeem yourself." Anne nodded, then Blazde faded out of the holo.

Nora had won yet another game of Sabacc, even though they weren't betting. Robin leaned back, sighing.

"You're cheating, I know it. You _have_ to be using premonition," Robin said, half-jokingly.

"Sadly, I'm not. I know you are, though," Nora retorted. Robin opened her mouth to say something, then shut it, knowing she was beat.

"Oh you sneaky-" Bruiser was cut off by Coruscant coming into view.

"We'll fight later, don't worry big guy," Robin teased. He grumbled and followed the other two to the front of the cockpit. Nora sat in the pilot's seat whereas Robin took the copilot's, leaving Bruiser to stand. Nora steered the ship down towards the very Hangar Bay they had left. It almost felt like the trip went in reverse, with the exception of three missing Troopers.

Bruiser stepped back, sighing slightly. He'd need to gather a few more Troopers in case he needed to get a squad together. Opening his holo, he looked through and saw a message from Atomizer. It read: _Bruiser, Robin, I need you two to train some of the Shinies we've got waiting back on the Grounds. You can handpick a few for tasking wherever, but you'll be dealing with Jury Platoon._ Bruiser nodded, putting the holo away.

"I take it you saw it too?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, seems that Atomizer thinks us training a bunch'a newbies is a good idea."

"It is, actually, they'll actually be worth keeping around, then."

"Agreed."

"What are you two on about?" Nora asked, turned in the chair as the ship landed itself.

"Er, ma'am, the Corps' leader has ordered us to take on a bunch of Privates and such to train for the next few weeks or something like that," Bruiser explained.

"Ah, then you won't mind if I make an appearance for a while?"

"No ma'am," Both Robin and Bruiser sounded. Nora nodded and walked towards the boarding ramp, which had lowered.

The group of them stepped down off of it, Nora at the front flanked by Robin and Bruiser. Bruiser glanced at his right forearm, whose armor was still damaged.

"Gonna head to maintenance and see if they've got anythin' for me. I'll be at the Grounds in a bit," Bruiser told Robin. She nodded, taking a left whereas Bruiser took a right. He headed off, down several relatively straight and similar-looking hallways.

After following several signs and several turns, Bruiser arrived at maintenance, walking up to one of the Clones.

"Hey, I got my bracer all messed up, think you could get me a new one or fix it?" He asked, wanting to get in and out quickly. The Clone nodded and took out a small measuring tape, knowing Bruiser needed special armor pieces. After measuring his arm, the Clone turned and walked over to a large pile of discarded armor pieces. He put one into a machine and it went through, the machine whirring as it made the armor. It came out as a finished product and the Clone picked it up, walking over to Bruiser.

"Try to keep it this time, eh?" He asked, handing the piece of armor to Bruiser.

"Yeah, no problem, Grease, I got it. No promises, though," Bruiser replied with a laugh. The Clone smirked in amusement, and then took Bruiser's damaged piece when he took it off, tossing it into the pile of armor. Bruiser left and began walking towards the Grounds.

Robin looked at the thirty-five clones that made up Jury Platoon. Each of them wore basic white armor, but she knew better than to judge. Each of them was an ARC, Volunteer, or a free-thinking CT. She knew, also, that not all of them would make it past this training. Robin and Bruiser both went through it themselves, and it _did_ have a fatality rate. She looked at a small display on her HUD, reading out the seven squads of Jury Platoon. They were Blue, Red, Gold, Brown, Black, White, and Tan squads. Glancing into the other two Platoons, she noted that the others used different names for their squads, such as Phonetic Letters and the other had some strange names.

Robin stood there, still as stone, as did the Troopers before her. Bruiser finally exited the building and walked to the small stage next to Robin.

"What'd I miss?" He whispered to her.

"Nothing much, for a bunch of Shinies, they're pretty formal," Robin replied in the same whisper. Bruiser nodded and stepped forward.

"AttenTION!" He yelled. The troops all stuck their heels together, their steps all in unison.

"Good, at ease." They all went into the position, all staring up at the Captain. Robin stepped off the stage and began walking among the crowd of Troopers, policing them.

"As you may or may not know, I am ARC Captain 7904, but you may call me Captain Bruiser. The woman who looks ready to beat your asses into the dirt is VT Lieutenant 4930, but keep it to Lieutenant Robin. If you have heard anything about this training, let me know what you've heard is one-hundred percent false. This training is the training you heard about's nightmare. And I do not take failure kindly." There was a grunt and a sound of armor hitting the ground, the man yelling out.

"Don't you know how to stand? Get up, c'mon, I know you can," Robin practically yelled in his face. He stood up shakily, and Bruiser knew that she had hit him with her Stun Baton.

"Now, I apologize for being late, we've recently had an issue off-planet, so that bogged us down a bit. We'll continue this chat tomorrow, _early_ tomorrow. I hope you guys know how to run," He added with a menacing tone.

"Dismissed!"

The Troopers all filed out and headed towards their bunks. The one Robin had hurt lagging slightly behind.

"You enjoy that too much," Bruiser teased.

"I do, I know." They both laughed, walking back into the building behind them. The area in question was a fairly large, open field with a tall, sleek, black building facing it. The two had just walked into it, then into an office only a few feet away from the door.

"Atomizer," Bruiser said upon entering, nodding.

"Oh! Bruiser, Robin, great to see you in one piece! Heard 'bout that fight with the Sith already. You two are lucky, I'm stuck here doin' paperwork," The Marshal Commander said. He was a Volunteer, like Robin. Atomizer stood at six feet tall and had his head completely shaven. His skin was a dark tan, his eyes brown. Despite having no hair on top, he had a goatee on his chin. The hair was dark brown, nearly black. His armor, like Robin's and Bruiser's, contained the same base colors, but in a largely different pattern.

His armor was very similar to Bruiser's in build, except he had two orange stripes going down his arms and was obviously smaller, as Atomizer wasn't quite the size of Bruiser. On his stomach he had what looked like orange scratches, and then he had similar lines to his arm on his legs. On his back was scratched, "MESS WITH THE BEST," likely done with a knife. Bruiser cringed slightly, remembering Atomizer's old second-in-command, who had "YOU DIE LIKE THE REST!" on his back. The poor ARC had died by getting run over by a Reek on Saleucami.

"I'm sorry to say, but you two are gonna be stuck on this here trainin' duty. It's mainly 'cuz I lost a few other of the trainers a few days ago in a skirmish on some planet. I was just told that Skywalker and the 501st were takin' 'em, so I just let 'em go, y'know? Got a report a few days later tellin' me they were dead," Atomizer explained.

"Damn, was it Pound?" Bruiser asked.

"Nah, he lived, but the others wasn't so lucky. By the way, yer probably wonderin' why I got you two for this, right? Well, we need some better guys in here, so I figured 'hell, I get Robin and Bruiser on this and we can actually get somewhere with our newbies'. Was I wrong?"

"Not at all, Atomizer," Robin said. Neither Bruiser nor Robin had removed their helmets, as they tended not to.

"Alright, well, you two're dismissed, I gots some shit to do around here, 'specially dealin' with more of this," Atomizer said, gesturing obviously to the large stack of paper he had on his desk. "A'ight, see you two later." Robin and Bruiser both waved on their way out.

Nora stared at the screen in the library, a frown on her face. She had been looking into Darth Tenebris ever since returning from Tatooine. It surprised her how little information was on the mysterious Sith, but she did get one small bit that troubled her.

Tenebris was Darth Blazde's Apprentice.

Nora reread over the line again and again. Not only had Nora's opponent spoken her name, she was Blazde's apprentice. _Anne Do'eris… That name, it can't be_ Nora thought, but was cut off by a Padawan approaching her.

"Hey, can I use that? All the others are full, and everyone's busy with something," The Padawan asked. Nora had recognized her easily as Ashoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's Padawan.

"Yes, I just finished, Padawan Tano," Nora said, standing. She gave a slight bow to the Padawan, who returned it. She exited the library, looking around. She noted the near-emptiness of the Temple around her, which was troubling. Though, Nora noted, that many Jedi were off fighting in the many battles around. She sighed, walking out of the Temple, heading home.

Anne found herself on Naboo sooner than expected. She looked about, the wonderful looking place nearly disgusting her. She knew this was the place to which Darth Maul had fallen, at least the first time. Anne was wearing her cloak, which concealed her fully except for her chin and legs when she walked. The cloak itself was jet black and would be nearly impossible to see at night. Unfortunately for Anne, it wasn't quite night yet.

She saw a large manor-like building in front of her, to which she was headed towards. Anne stepped in, the door being unlocked and a savage grin appeared on her pale face. She drew both of her lightsabers and ignited them one after the other, dozens of people turning towards her.

_Well, you can imagine that Lux may be the one to act, or maybe it won't be? I can't quite tell you yet, you've got to turn the page. I had heard of this massacre and looked further, even asking Anne for her account of it. These events were only the beginning, things were even happening on Coruscant and the Jedi and Clone Troopers weren't aware of it. Sadly, that isn't quite on this note yet, but you, reader, will find out later. _

_(Alright, thanks for reading. Also, I purposely gave Atomizer bad grammar, if you hadn't noticed, so please no corrections on that part of the chapter. The next few chapters, kinda like this one, may fall short of 3,000, but I'll try to keep them around 2,500-ish, hopefully. ~TheBattleMedic)_


	4. IV: Naboo Problems

**Chapter 3**

_So far you've met quite a few of those 'important' to these events. There were more, but I'm saving their stories for a later time. One of which I found so interesting that I decided to make a substory about. Don't worry if you haven't found that story yet, Reader, as I have hidden it well. Also, don't fret, as this mysterious person does make their mark here. Though, let's get back to the people at hand. _

_Robin and Bruiser are busy handling the new recruits for Armageddon, Nora had went home for a rest, and Anne was busy massacring the dozens of people on Naboo. _

_Two days later…_

Nora sat in her seat in the Council, looking at the other Masters around her. She had been called for an emergency meeting, one of heavy importance.

"…You do realize, Master Yoda, that if the people of Naboo secede from our Republic we will have a large gap in our Senate," One Jedi, bald and barefoot, was already in the middle of his argument. Yoda had almost spoken, but he was cut off by yet another Jedi unknowingly.

"I say we just send one or two of our own to Naboo to assess the issue and catch whoever did it. We cannot let the crimes go unaccounted for."

"I will go," Nora suddenly announced. She was always known to be the quiet one in the Council, and only spoke when she truly believed something, "This has to be the work of one I met recently, on my mission to Tatooine. I already know this foe, so I may be able to defeat her again."

"Who was this 'foe', Nora?" Mace Windu asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"She is known as Darth Tenebris," Nora said, then hesitated before adding, "One of Darth Blazde's Apprentices."

"Blazde?" A man said from his seat. Nora turned to him, eying him. This was the second man to speak, the Jedi Battlemaster by the name of Jaxom Osi. Nora nodded.

"I have faced and defeated Darth Tenebris already. I will track her myself," She announced.

"Are you sure?" The bald Jedi asked, leaning forward. His clothing seemed to be hand-stitched and was half red, half black, the colors changing at random stitched intervals.

Nora nodded again, "I know how she operates. I will leave soon for the system." The rest of the Council turned and looked at each other, before turning to Nora and nodding.

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said with a small dip of his head.

"To you as well," Nora said, then stood and exited, the rest of the Council doing so soon after her.

A cloaked figure stood just outside the bar. The area around was bustling with people, guards, and even a few Jedi. The lights reflecting off of the wet ground, the area loud with chatter, the place was an entertainment hotspot. The figure looked straight up, the grey walls towering above it. The cloak fell over its shoulders, the hood dipped so lowly it was down to the figure's chin. Rain had begun to fall in sheets, pattering against the ground around the figure. It opened its holocommunicator, though it seemed to double as an interactable list. After a bit of scrolling, the figure tapped the list, walking off. Suddenly, the figure disappeared without a trace, as if it were never there.

Several men and women gasped at the sight of this, as they had noticed the sudden disappearance of the figure. They stared in awe, not knowing what to do. Soon, however, a scream ran through the crowd as a Lightsaber had been ignited and blaster shots were audible.

The Jedi Knight swung at the newly reappeared figure, who sidestepped with ease. The figure kneed him in the stomach and grabbed his arm, wrenching it back and creating an audible '_snap'_. The Jedi cried out and dropped his lightsaber, the weapon disabling upon landing. The figure picked the lightsaber up and killed the Jedi with his own weapon, disappearing once again after the deed had been done.

Nora walked up the ramp onto her ship, knowing she couldn't call upon the ARC and the Volunteer for this mission. "Where're ye goin'?" A voice sounded behind her. Nora spun on her heel and looked down the ramp, spotting a rather large Trooper. The visor registered him as Marshal Commander Atomizer. "Is it of your concern, Commander?" She asked after a moment.

"Nah, not really, but I was told by a few of yer Council buddies that ya might need some help. Figgerd, why not? Better than sittin' at that desk fer hours on-end," He replied. His helmet was under his arm, so Nora had taken note of how he wasn't a Clone, but a Volunteer.

"I suppose, Commander. You are Atomizer, correct?" She asked as he approached.

"Aye, that be me, ma'am. Nice ship ya got 'ere," He commented.

"Thanks," She said with a small nod, "I just use it to get from system to system, to be honest."

"Eh, doesn't change anythin', still looks purty." Nora sat down and pressed a few buttons, then the ship began to lift and fly out of the hangar.

"So, ain't got yourself one of dem astromechs?" Atomizer asked, sitting in the copilot's seat.

"I intend on getting a replacement soon. I lost mine to an Exiled Jedi," She said.

"Oh, alrighty then. Them things are useful to say the least."

"Agreed."

"So, when did ya join the Order? This is gonna be a decently long flight, so I think we could swap stories or somethin'," Atomizer said, leaning back in his seat and turning it towards the Jedi.

"I take it you don't want the date, but instead a story."

"Bingo." Nora nodded slowly,

"It's a bit of a long story, how about yours first?"

"Eh, I would usually say 'ladies first', but, ya got a point there. I joined just after Geonosis with three of my brothers. We got split, and as far as I know, they're dead. I worked fer quite some time under the 501st 'fore one of you Jedi guys gave me opportunity to start the 14th. Soon after I was promoted from Senior Commander to Marshal Commander, and here I am," He explained.

"I expect there's many war stories with you and the 501st."

"Aw, yeah, lots of 'em. I worked with Skywalker a few times, but usually I wasn't with no Jedi."

"Hm. I hate to further delay my own tellings, but what's your opinion on us? On Jedi, I mean."

"On you guys? Well, I got me mixed feelings. Without y'all, we wouldn't be sittin' here talking. Guys like me would be busy trying to pick up our teeth after gettin' our hides beat by some Seppie torturer. Then again, if there weren't Jedi, there'd be no Sith either, in a way. Though, that's not the only reason I can say I don't like y'all."

His voice got quiet, his tone far more serious than seconds ago, "Y'all Jedi-peoples can turn over to the Dark Side at any time. Had to put a few down meself, and I do it without hesitation."

"I understand," Nora said after a few moments of hesitation.

"Well, ya gon' tell me that story or what?" Atomizer asked, leaning back and adopting his previous, less serious tone.

Nora sighed, "Guess it can't hurt to tell a few Troopers…"

(_Yeah, sorry for this short chapter, but I ran dry of ideas to do for it. The next, as you can imagine, will be Nora's backstory as told from her eyes. _ _I'm trying to shoot for like, 2K+, but my bare minimum is 1K-ish. As always, thanks for reading. ~Thebattlemedic)_


End file.
